Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.  (Psalm 34:8)
  
          The historical background may be found in 1 Samuel 21.  Because of King Saul’s intense jealousy of David, David fled southward from the court of Saul and went to Philistia where he was captured.  The Philistines recognized David as the one who had killed their champion, Goliath.  So David was brought before King Achish.
          Fearing for his life, David used the strategy of acting as though he were insane.  He fell down, groveled in the dirt, drooled down his beard, and gave every indication of being mad.  King Achish commanded David to leave his court so David went to the wilderness where he took refuge in the cave of Adullam waiting for his key comrades to join him.
          It was during this period of time when David was confronted with fear, frustration, uncertainty, and discouragement that he composed this psalm.  David’s song certainly has spoken to the hearts of the Lord’s people down through the years. 
          No matter how the twists and turns of life may have gone, the believer knows that God is good.  A key verse is verse 8: The LORD is good.
          But what does “good” mean in this context?  It does not mean that God always smooths the way, or always gives good health, or always provides wealth.  No…rather the “goodness” of God means that God always acts on behalf of the believer in ways which are consistent with His own purposes for the ultimate spiritual blessing of the believer in order that God’s goal for the believer’s life might be realized.
          Psalm 34:4 was the favorite verse which President Lincoln claimed during the dark days of the Civil War.  The ink on the verse in his Bible was blurred due to the many times his finger followed the words, I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
          In the midst of a very difficult time, David praised the Lord and was delivered from his fear.  He could say, Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him (Psalm 34:8).

Joy Hubbard

Writer for “Real Victory for Real Life” 
365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick
VOLUME 2
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